


Small Beginnings

by tinyquill



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: BATIM, Fluff, angst maybe, eventual emotional development, hurt/comfurt maybe at some point too?, not sure where this is going but im just here for the ride, tiny bendy au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-29 21:03:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10862049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyquill/pseuds/tinyquill
Summary: What if the ink machine had started small?Just a little splat of ink that no one was expecting, that turned out to be the best thing that's ever happened to the studio. Well, for a while at least... Later on, not so much.A TinyBendyAU, where bendy starts out at the size of a plush toy, and is adorable.He'll eventually grow, and learn, and develop, and all the other painful things that come with being alive.





	1. Bubbles

**Author's Note:**

> Hoo boy, its been a while since i've written anything. 
> 
> But after getting sucked into the BATIM fandom by squigglydigg on tumblr, there was no turning back lol. Her art is fantastic, check her out! I would not have seen the game had she not posted her stream of it, im too chicken lol. 
> 
> And of course, enjoy.

The whirring and clanking of the ink machine echoed off the empty walls of the room and down the hall, halting Henry mid-sketch. Was it running already? Surely not; Joey said he wouldn’t even try to work it for another 6 months. Something about prototype designs and complex calibrations… Henry couldn’t see how it would help them animate any faster or better, but he was always game to try something new. And with it being so large and impressive, and using so much ink! It must really do something amazing.

Henry walked down the halls, stretching his arms and hands along the way. They had been working non-stop on their most recent story, “The Dancing Devil”, and still seemed unlikely to meet their deadline in 2 weeks. Still, it wouldn’t do anyone any good to work themselves to injury. Breaks are important for any activity. Though, Sammy might disagree; the reclusive man choosing to stay tucked away in his office most hours of the day and throwing a fit whenever interrupted.

Walking through the wooden doorframe, Henry saw Joey lying on the floor under the machine; some sort of door propped up with a small wooden beam. The large tank at the end of the machine was filled to the brim with ink, and the gears on the side clinking in an uneven and jarring manner. Not wanting to disturb his boss, he skirted the wall in the room; moving to face the large nozzle. 

The machine continued for another moment, and finally let loose a large groan; the gears halting in place. A large glob of ink oozed out of the nozzle and hit the floor with a wet thud. Though the wood was a porous material, the ink didn’t seem to absorb in. The contrast was striking. Joey let out a few grumbles, reaching blindly for the large wrench at his side. The black liquid was fascinating to watch; the light reflecting off as a sharp white, and swirling lazily in the airflow. It was strange how the ink appeared thin as water, yet was cohesive enough to hold a few bubbles in shape.

The reflection was so intense, nearly half the bubble seemed white… Henry had to stop himself from imagining the shape of a bowtie between the two largest orbs.

…and eyes. And gloves. Maybe he had been working too hard. He took a deep breath and rubbed his face. When Henry looked down again, those eyes blinked at him. He must be out of his mind. He knelt down for a closer look, and sure enough, another unmistakable blink.

“So, uh… is it normal for the ink to be looking at me, or…?”

A large thunk, followed by several curses. “Henry, you scared the daylights outta me!” The older man scooted out from under the hood, rubbing his graying head. “And whaddaya mean ‘lookin’ at you?”

Henry pointed closer to the black orb, swirling slowly. “This! It… well, it looks like it’s got eyes.”

Joey pulled himself up with the machine, and hobbled over to his employee. “Ha! My boy, it sounds like you need a –“ 

Henry watched as the bubbles reformed; the smaller moving atop the larger, like a tiny jet black snowman. What had looked like light reflections off the ink were actually staying in place and taking shape – a stark white against the ink. Henry couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was small. It was 3 dimensional. It was even a little out of proportion. But without a doubt, it was Bendy.

“-break. Oh my god.”

The tiny figure reached his gloved hand out at Henry’s pointing finger, and shook it like he was introducing himself. Henry had to restrain from pulling away from this strange, living thing.

“W-well aren’t you cute?” Nervous laughter escapes his mouth, as the tiny Bendy pulled himself up on Henry’s finger. His little smile peeked out from the overly-large bowtie. Joey was frozen in place, cigarette having dropped from his mouth. A tiny gloved hand pointed upward, gaze unchanging and focused on Henry. Out of instinct, he looked up and did not see anything. He heard a little squeak, as the miniature put his hands on his hips. Clearly, Henry missed the jist, as he motioned a small glove up again, then pointed to himself.

“I- oh. Ok, going up then.” Cupping both his hands, Bendy hopped right on as Henry moved to stand up. He turned to Joey. “Whaaaaat are we looking at here, boss?”

“I… I- I- I was only calibrating the machine, it wasn’t ready, wasn’t supposed to- but, holy cats, it worked!”

Holding him closer, henry got to take a better look at this tiny figure. He could not have been more than 8 inches tall, but had all of the unmistakable features and details; down to the pie-cut eyes. The proportions were off; his bowtie almost comically huge, and his gloves drooping at the fingertips. In an odd way, it was charming. Joey came over and stuck his face down to Bendy’s level, taking a critical look at this surprise creation. “Well, sorta worked. I didn’t think this thing would make ‘em so small.” 

The tiny figure crossed his arms, sticking a kitten-sized tongue at the older man. He made a little blowing noise, like that of a party favor. Henry let out an exasperated laugh, sound effects. He came with his own set of sound effects.   
It was definitely intelligent, and even had its own personality. That was enough for Henry. He didn’t know how or why, but this tiny thing was alive. At least, it some way.

“I’m sorry, how rude of us! I’m Henry, and this is Joey. We created you, Bendy. Do you understand?”

The small ink bubble turned back to face Henry, attitude forgotten, and tilted his head. Henry could have sworn that his grin drooped a bit. The demon plopped back down in Henry’s palm, and looked and his gloved hands. Then back to the two men.  
He assumed the thinkers pose, and tiny ink cogs floated above his head. After a moment of tiny gear clicking sounds, they popped like a balloon. Henry stifled his rising giggles; this really was a cartoon. A cartoon, here in from of him, in the palm of his hands. It was the epitome of animation, the ultimate imitation of life! Or maybe, not an imitation. How deep this went, he could only imagine.

Bendy looked back at Henry slowly, pointing to him, then to himself. The demon was not meant to be a fast thinker. “Uh, if you’re asking what I think you are, then yeah.” 

His tiny eyes and smile grew, and he jumped from Henry’s palm to his shirt, giving him a little hug. Henry patted his tiny back, returning the smile. “Heh, you’re welcome little guy.”

Joey held his hands out to Bendy, who turned and hopped right on. “You are amazing! This- This is huge! We have so much to do! I have so many questions. How am I going to explain this to the rest of the crew? How can we start incorporating you into the show? How… how about we start with a tour, yes? This is your home now, after all.”

Joey headed out of the room, Bendy waving goodbye at Henry as Joey started in on the studio’s history. Henry waved back, a smile lifting at the corner of his mouth. 

Walking back to his office, he had a hard time believing what he just saw. Their creation, come to life like magic. Were it not for the ink stains on his hands and shirt, he wouldn’t have believed it even happened. He would have to start wearing black to work. Or, at least find a way to wash it out. A small price to pay, for sure.


	2. Naps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took off like a rocket.  
> Got the fluff, angst, and hurt/comfort in this one! its mild but hey, its a start :)
> 
> It's kinda late here, so ill post up the good stuff now, and go through it and chapter 1 with a fine-tooth comb tomorrow. No story changes, just some grammar and stuff for better readability.
> 
> Enjoy!

It was nearly 24 hours before Henry saw the little guy again. Though this was probably a good thing, as it gave him time to complete his scene for the deadline. His thoughts wandered as he continued drawing; falling back to the impossible little ball of ink that jumped into their lives. There was no way he could truly be alive - he was only made of ink. Yet, he was definitely moving, and definitely communicating! Henry just couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

Sighing, he stepped back from his desk, and headed upstairs to the cot. It had been much too long since he had gotten some decent sleep, and after 30 hours non-stop, he didn’t quite trust himself to drive home. Or trust his rusty old car to make it there in this cold weather. His apartment was only a short drive away, but enough of a walk to be a nuisance. And with more work to be done yet, it would be best to cut out any lost time, and just stay at the studio.

Being a bachelor also didn’t leave much reason to head back home. Fridge lacking in a variety of foods, noisy neighbors above, dirty laundry unattended, and the place was rather cramped. 

And, well… there’s the loneliness, too; but Henry wouldn’t focus on that. 

He was young, and not bad looking- if he cleaned up a bit. He’d eventually find a soul mate, but for now he stuck with “all work and no play”. It had to be if he wanted to break any ground in the motion picture business! And for the time being, he rather enjoyed his independence.

Reaching the cot, he slipped off his shoes, and loosened his tie. It was actually Joey’s cot, but the man hardly used it; instead taking naps on a recliner chair downstairs. He liked being in the heart of the studio, so that anyone could grab him at a moment’s notice. Henry, on the other hand, preferred his brief moments of peace, wherever and whenever he could find them.

He let out a yawn and plopped down on the flattened mattress. After a moment of fussing, he got the sole blanket untucked, and rested his head on the lumpy pillow. Someone would get him in an hour or two for his next assignment, leaving just enough time for a decent nap.

squeak

Henry’s eyes cracked open. It was faint, but he heard it. He looked around the small room, searching for the source. He had left the door slightly ajar, perhaps it was just airflow moving it. The place was rather new, the hinges probably just needed a little grease. Henry sighed, and repositioned. 

…. squeeeeak.

He kept his eyes closed. Darn door, he should have just closed it. Henry had better things to do than notify maintenance so late in the evening. A minute passed, then two. Silence prevailed.

sQUEAK

Henry’s eyes shot open, Bendy inches away from his face. 

“GaaAHH!” he jumped up, tangling in the stiff blanket. He jumped off the cot, holding a hand to his chest. For as cute as he was on the silver screen, Bendy’s smile was a bit disconcerting when it was close enough to touch your nose. 

“Goodness, you scared the beans out of me!” Little Bendy had his gloved hands on his mouth, shoulders shaking with laughter. Henry put his hands on his hips.

“Very funny. I, uh, thought you were still supposed to be with Joey?” The mention of Joey snapped the ton out of his laughter, and a small exclamation point formed above his head. It was amazing how quickly it shaped; like a few drops of ink just jumped off his head. He made a shushing motion with his finger, and shook his head no several times. 

Henry got the message loud and clear. “Aha. Escaped from the boss, huh?” Smirking, Henry sat back down on the cot, a good 3 feet away from the ink creature. It was still so strange to see Bendy moving right in front of him, in reality. And breathing! He would have to ponder that one later, when he was more lucid.

“Well, I can understand that; he’s all work, that one. A bit intimidating. You can hang with me anytime you need a breather.” A grateful sigh escaped Bendy’s mouth, and he moved to imitate Henry’s pose; tiny boots just poking off the edge of the cot.  
“Must have been a busy first day for you. Hey, don’t try to take it all in at once; you’ll have time to learn it all and get comfortable. Joey… just moves through things kinda fast. I remember my first day here, how overwhelming it all was…” 

Bendy looked at Henry, browline furrowing in worry. He was only a cartoon, how was he supposed to move through this- this whole complex thing called reality?! rHaving to remember so much, and being told that there so much to do? He only just got here, for pete’s sake. None of his shows were anything like this. 

“But that’s the beauty of it; it’s scary now, but in a little while you’ll look back and laugh at how simple it all is.” 

Bendy’s browline dropped down to a straight line, a clear ‘oh really?’.

“Yep, for a smart cookie like you, you’ll be running around this place like its nothin. Just you wait. Just focus on starting small - pun intended.” Henry winked

Bendy’s smile grew, and he hid the grin behind his overly-large bowtie. He was supposed to be the one cracking the jokes!   
A thought crossed Henry’s mind. “Has Joey introduced you to anyone yet?”

Bendy straightened, staring off into space for a moment, before shaking his head no slowly. Joey must still be working out how to introduce him, without scaring off half his staff. 

“Well, no worries there. We can always work on that tomorrow.” Henry let out another yawn, and rubbed his face. Bendy stood, and made some tiny z’s above his head; pointing to them. 

“Hm? Yeah, it’s times for some sleep for me.” Henry paused. “Do…um. Do you need sleep, Bendy? Or do you not feel tired?”   
Bendy seemed to consider the question, before throwing up his hands in a “dunno” pose. 

“…Weeeeell, that’s ok. I need to rest, do you want to try sleeping?” A tiny maraca sound resounded as bendy nodded vigorously. A new experience!

“All right then, buddy. You get the other half of the pillow. Just wake me if there’s anything you need, alright?” Bendy gave him a thumbs up, and ran over to the off-white cushion, cannonballing into it and nearly bouncing off the bed.

“Easy there, trouble maker! Sleep is not that much of an enthusiastic activity. Try laying down and closing your eyes, ok?”

Bendy rolled his eyes, and crawled back on top of the pillow. Henry got comfortable once more, and fluffed up the other half of the headrest. Finally comfortable, the two stared up at the ceiling, heads next to each other. 

“…uh, see ya in a bit, little guy. Nighty night.”

10 minutes later, Henry was snoring gently, and Bendy lay awake. See you in a bit? What did Henry mean… was he leaving? What if he wasn’t able to wake up? It had been a long time already, and he was barely moving. Something had to be wrong. 

Sitting up, Bendy scooted closer to his creator, watching carefully. Was he stuck in a loop animation? Another few minutes passed, with no change. Bendy could feel the panic rising. What should he do? He didn’t know where Joey was, didn’t know any other the ‘crew’, and didn’t even know the whole layout of the building! It was up to him alone.

Bendy gathered some courage, and poked Henry’s cheek. 

Nothing. So he tried climbing onto his chest and jumped; once, twice, a third time. Again, no effect; he just wasn’t heavy enough to do anything. Bendy began chewing on the end of his loose-fitting gloves. He couldn’t break this loop on his own. He had no way to get help. The thought of losing one of the only two people he knew terrified him. And Henry was different, he was special. He had conversations with him, rather than talking at him. He didn’t overload him with tasks and expectations. He was the first to realize he even existed! If Henry didn’t wake up… would he die? Bendy’s knees began to tremble. He didn’t want to be alone!

He took a deep breath, and let out a wail. 

The squeaking noise jarred Henry awake, and he sat straight up, toon tumbling into his lap. “Whha…?” he looked down at the little noisemaker, who was crying tiny ink tears all over the blanket. “Oh… OH! Bendy. Bendy, what’s wrong?” He asked groggily.   
The ink bubble looked up at Henry, and gave him a watery smile. He was ok! Bendy stood, and tapped on his wrist; like checking a watch.

“…Uh, time? Why do you need the time?” Henry leaned back on his arms, eyes drooping. Bendy shook his head no, and repeated the motion, then pointing to henry.

“My time? I’m off duty right now bud, there’s nothing we need to do?” Bendy smack his palm to his face. Repeating all the gestures, and adding some Z’s after.

“My time... to sleep? Bendy, I don’t- wait, how long I’ve been asleep?” Finally a yes. Henry checked his watch. 

“Bendy. It’s been 15 minutes.” The little guy nodded vigorously. Letting out a long sigh, Henry slid back down on the pillow. There was clearly a lot more that he and Joey would have to work on here.

“Hey, hey. It’s ok, humans sleep for hours bendy, not minutes. I know in the cartoons its-“ the thought dawned on him. Of course, Bendy is a cartoon. He only knows what’s been in his shows.

“-it’s a lot faster, but here it is a very long time. That’s normal for us.” Bendy didn’t look convinced, his little face full of worry.  
“Look, I promise I won’t sleep for very long this time, ok? And you can wake me up as often as you need to. Just, uh, do what you did before, yeah?” Nodding hesitantly, he sat back down on the pillow. Scream for Henry, got it.

Henry patted the demon gently on his head, trying to soothe his fears. “I promise I will wake up again; I’m not going anywhere.” After a moment, Bendy nodded. Henry closed his eyes.

After the mild snoring started again, Bendy nestled himself in Henry’s short hair; comforted by his warmth and gently breathing pattern. There he laid, waiting quietly, frequently checking on Henry should his loop cycle change. It was going to be a long sleep.

***

Like clockwork, Joey swung the door open an hour later, looking for his new creation. 

“There you are! Gave me a heart attack, you did. Come on, we’ve got some people who are dying to meet ya, Bendy!” 

Henry startled awake, as Joey walked up and held his hands out to the toon. Bendy looked towards Henry, who was sitting up and stretching out.

“Go on, I’ll see you soon.” He said, giving the small one a thumbs up and pulling the blanket off. Once Bendy was sure he wasn’t going to fall asleep again, he hopped onto Joey, ready for his next adventure.

“Oh, and Henry, the boy’s were lookin for ya downstairs. Somethin about a new scene to do...”

Henry paused. It was strange to hear Joey talk about their current work so… relaxed. He was such a high energy guy, he practically micromanaged everyone down to their pen strokes. He didn’t even know what work he had for Henry. 

“You got it, boss; I’m heading down now.” He shrugged it off. The excitement with Bendy must be diverting his attention.

Heading out of the room, Joey paused at the door. “Oh, and I like the new look. Very sharp, kid!”

The older man left, leaving a very confused Henry in his wake. Now look…? Henry reached up to straighten his hair, and was met with a fine coating of sticky black ink. He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle as he headed to the nearest restroom to wash it out.


End file.
